Shoe provided with asymmetrical swimming webs



Dec. 23, 1958 SHOE PROVIDED WITH ASYMMETRICAL SWIMMING WEBS Filed Dec. 28. 1955 M y www United States Patent O SHOE PROVIDED WITH ASYMMETRICAL SWIMMIN G WEBS David L. Jayet, Giez s. Yverdon, Switzerland, assignor, by mesne assignments, to David Jayet, Le Trayas (Var), France Application December 28, 1955, Serial No. 556,015

Claims priority, application Switzerland May 24, 1955 2 Claims. (Cl. 9-21) Known shoes provided with swimming webs, which will be referred to hereinafter briefly as swimming fins, are of two dilerent types: symmetrical and asymmetrical. In contrast to the asymmetrical, the symmetrical swimming tins can be worn on either the left or the right foot. Owing to the construction of the asymmetrical swimming fins there is always a right swimming fin and a left swimming iin. In all known symmetrical or asymmetrical swimming iins, however, there is always a sole side, so that these swimming ns cannot be put on the foot upside down.

The swimming iin according to the present invention obviates all these disadvantages but retains the undeniable advantage which the asymmetrical swimming fin accords in driving oneself forwards, and is characterized in that the web portion, the side ridges and the cavity are constructed symmetrically with respect to the central plane, so that the same swimming iin can be worn on either the right or left foot.

One constructional form of the swimming fin according to the invention is illustrated diagrammatically and by way of example in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. l is a plan view of the swimming iin.

Fig. 2k is a sectional view taken on the line II-II of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III--III of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 show two different ways of wearing the swimming ns.

The swimming fin illustrated in the drawings has a web portion 1 which is connected fast at each side to lateral ridges 2 and is also provided with intermediate ridges 4. Said web portion and said ridges are constructed asymmetrically with respect to a vertical longitudinal plane b (Fig. l) through the height and length of the fin, but symmetrically relatively to a horizontal longitudinal plane a (Fig. 2) through the width and length ofthe n, and carry two walls 5 which are disposed symmetrically with respect to the plane a. These walls form, together with rear prolongation of the lateral ridges, a cavity 6 which is likewise constructed symmetrically relatively to both planes a and b, and is intended for containing the front part of the swimmers foot. The terminal edges 7 of these walls come to lie on the instep so that the heel remains outside the cavity 6. A strap 8 surrounds the heel, its ends being held in two buckles 9. Each buckle consists of a metal frame, one end 10 of which extends through a hole 12 provided in a widened part 11 of the lateral ridges. This frame 10 carries a bar 13 which is slidable along the two longitudinal sides of the said frame. The end of the strap 8 is bent in known manner about this bar, so that when the strap is pulled, the end of the strap 8 is clamped and held fast between the wall 14, the end 15 and the bar-13.

Figs. 4 and 5 show two possible ways of wearing the swimming fins. These figures illustrate that the same lin can be worn either on the left or the right foot. Normally the swimming tins are worn as shown in Fig. 4, the big toe of each foot acting upon the longest part of the web portion, which also requires relatively considerable force in order to be moved. However these swimming ns can also be used in the reverse arrangement as is shown in Fig. 5.

Each swimming iin consists of a single manufactured piece, e. g. made of rubber or another soft and elastic material. This material is preferably very elastic and pliant, so as not to injure the skin of the feet unnecessarily. In order to make it possible to provide very pliant walls 5, the side ridges are kept very high. As is illustrated, their height c is equal to the height of the foot cavity 6. In this way the swimming fin can be made of a very elastic and pliant material and yet retain the requisite strength.

Since the swimming n which has been described is symmetrical relatively to the plane a, it can be worn on either the right or left foot. As a result, the two swimming iins making up one pair can consist of two exactly identical, asymmetrical swimming ns, which can be made by means of the same casting or press mould. This feature is of great advantage to the manufacturer, and also for the sellers and users of swimming fins. In fact, on the on-e hand only one mould need be used for manufacturing each separate size of swimming n, and on the other hand storage and despatch of the tins is greatly simplified, since they need no longer be stored in pairs but need only be stacked according to size.

It goes without saying that certain parts of the swimming fins may be made out of a softer, more pliant material as other parts of said swimming ns. Thus for instance the shoe, that is to say, the walls of the cavity 6 may be made out of a more pliant material than the ns. The swimming n according to the invention may also be made out of two diierent materials having different qualities, e. g. different mechanical properties.

I claim:

1. An asymmetrical swimming iin comprising walls forming a cavity having length, width and height, said cavity having a rst plane extending through the width and length thereof and a second plane at right angles thereto extending through the height and length thereof, said cavity being symmetrical with respect to both said planes, and a web portion extending from said walls, said rst plane extending through said web portion, said web portion being symmetrical with respect to said first plane but asymmetric with respect to said second plane, said web having lateral and intermediate ridges of unequal length reinforcing said web portion, said ridges being symmetrical with respect to said rst plane.

2. An asymmetrical fin as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lateral ridges comprise rear prolongations reinforcing the lateral walls of said cavity, buckles articulated to the rear ends of said lateral ridges, said buckles being symmetrical with respect to said second plane, and a heel strap clamped in said buckles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 23,006 Churchiu June s, 1943 2,423,571 Wilen July 8, 1947 2,803,894 Morgan Aug. 27, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 323,623 Italy Dec. 31, 1934 1,096,129 France v Dec. 29, 1954 

